Crowning machine



May 1, 1928 'W' V- DERBY cRowNING MACHINE Finds-mms L 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 1, 192s. '1,668,305

W. V. DERBY y CROWNING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Ff' 1% Z /Q/ 4 l 25V. ,e7 Je d 47 65 y/ l 4 :sa

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w. v. DERBY CROWNING MACHINE Filed Jan. s. 192s 5 sheets-shea -3,A

May l, 1928. 1,668,305

v W. V. DERBY CROWNING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8. 1923 5 Shee'ts-sheet 4 "May 1,1928. 1,668,305

. l W. V. DERBY v CROWNING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8. 1923' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 1, 1928.

rnrss PATENT OFFICE'.

WILLIAM VAUGHAN DERBY, OF BALTIMORE, INIARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GROWN 'CORK AND SEAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A

CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

cnownme MACHINE.

Application met January a, 1923.. serial No. 611,495.

rlhis invention relates toimprovements in crowning machines and hais particular reterence to a hand-operated machine for epplying sheet-metal crowns to hotties or other containers which are tormedto receive such crowns. Y

The object of the invention is to provide e. hund crowning machine that shell he exceedingly simple in construction, reliable in its operation to meet the Vdemands ot smell bottling establishments and which may he reudily and quickly adjusted for operan tion on bottles ot different sizes.

.he invention is illustrated in the accompenyingl drawings, .vherein,

Fig. 1 shows in perspective, the preferred torni of u machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the Vsaine in central vertical section. y

Fig. 3 shows ahorizontal Vsectional view through portions of the inacliine,tlie section being teken on the line SW3 ot Fig. 2.

lFig. i illustrates a cross-sectional detail through the sume `parts as the sume would appear it viewed on the line 4 4 of Fig'. 3.

Fig. 5 shows the complete machine in top y view. y

Fig. 6 illustrates n. cross-sectional detail through the column as viewed on the line 6-G ot Fig. 2 and shows the hottie guide.

und clamp in top view.

Fig. 7 shows the detached crown platform in perspective. v y

Fig. 8 illustrates n. horizontal sectional view ot the ports us viewed on the line 8-8 ot Fig. 2.

Figs. Sl und l0 show two \f'erticu.l sctional details to illustrate the action ot the presser toot on s. crown prior tothe crimping oi the latter into oneA Yement with the mouth ot the closure. u i

Fiets. ll and l2 illustrute two additional sectional detuils to show the crimping4 operen tion .ot the parts.

iig. 13 shows n. rertical sectional detail through the spring cage and adjacent parts es the saine would appear it viewed on the line .i3-13 of Fig. 8. Y

Fig. le illust-retes an enlerged central -nicgil section through the throat devices and the crown-platform und shows ya crown in place on the latter. und

Fig. 15 shows u slightlyY moditied form ot structure in that the buse and column are omitted and a hruclret attached to ar wall or other vertical support substituted.

Reerringkto ther drawings, und particulurlv Figs. l--2 and 5 thereof, the numeral 2O designates s. hase or plattform which is designed to seat on a bench or tuhle and on the upper side ot which there is a socket or recess 2l in which e pad or cushion 22 is retained. This psd or cushion forms e supporting surface for the bottom of e bottle or container 23 which is to he crowned or ceoped.

At the rear of the pad vor cushion, the buse is provided with e verticullyextending head 24 with a vertical socket therein. This head is provided at the rear side with u vertical slot which opens all the wav through `from the rear to the socket und on erich side ot the slot there is a boss 25 through which bosses a binding screw 26 may he passed, whereby to slightli7 spring the two sides ot the heud and drew them together when` the screw 2G, is turned in one direction. The purpose ot this construction isk to sustain s tubular support 27 h v inserting the lower reduced end thereof inthe socket and then clamping the same in place by means of the screw.

The support 27 is provided at its rear with ai vertical groove or spline 28 for u purpose presently to he explained.

in adjustable bottle guide or gauge @Sluis carried hy the heed 2l and projects over the lisse shove the pad for the purpose of serving :is a gauge to properlntY position the bottle beneath the crowning devices which latter will presently he described. n y,

iin mijustahle heed 30 has e split sleeve portion 3l, which engages the tubular support 27, and which is clamped about the support by ineens of n lever clamp-screw 32. The need and sleeve are held in ulinement withthe bottle guide und pad by means ot a circular key 33, which lutter is carried on the screw-part of the. clamp-screw 32 and which key is locs-ted in the slot of the sleeve so it maj,v enter the spline 28 in the rear of the column or tubular support. By this means this arrangement ot sleeve, clampscrew and key, the head may readily be adjusted vertically on the support but the sleeve and head be prevented from rotation on the support.

Ubviously, the purpose in providing vertiral adjustment for the head on the support is to set the head with respect to the pad to snii the height otl the bottles or containers which are to be crowned or capped.

rthe head has a tubular portion 34 which 'terms a housing and carrier for 4the mechanism that seats and crimps the crown into locked engagement with the bottle or container.

The housing is provided with upper and lower bearing' bushir-frs G35 tor a purpose that will presently be explained.

rlfhe interior ot the housing tor ns a vertical bearing 'for a crowning-ram or throatcarrier S6, the upper end of which latter is provided with a central recess or chamber 3T haring an annular shoulder 3S therein. lfroin the shoulder 3S downw'ardly, the crowning-ram has a cei'itral guide passage 3i), while below the said passage there is another central passage l() which is larger in diameter than the guide-passage.

.fr support washer el has position in the lower end ot the upper ram-chamber 37 and this washer normally seats on the annular shoulder 3S, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

ln the same ram-chamber 3T there is located a presser-toot spring et?, whose lower end seats on the washer il and whose upper end is compressed, more or less, by an adjustable plug` #t3 which screws down into the said chamber.

ln the narrower' central guide-passage 39 oil the crowning-ram there is located a, plunger del, with a. reduced upper end l5 which provides an annular shoulder 4.6 around the base ot the said reduced end.

This annular shoulder t6 has position directly beneath the washer lll while the reduced end Ll5 extends up through the washer and enters the central opening formed by coils of the spring.

l will therelkn'e he clearly seen that 'it the plunger fl-t be held stationarily while the reni 36. is moved downwardly, that the plug 43. will compress the spring 512, and washer 41, will then be held down on the plunger shoulder 46, while the ram-shoulder 38 will drop away from the washer.

The presser-toot spring` 42 is so designed that its coils will close one upon the other when the throat which moves with the rain 36, has moved down over the cap on the bottle a sutl'icient distance for properly crimping the crown while the plug' 4,-3 enables a variation to be made in the eXpansion of the spring so that the exact relative positions of the throat and presser-foot may be attained at the time the coils of the spring close together.

rl`he plunger LH extends down through the enlarged chamber l0 and has a circular iange or disk l? thereon which has position at the lower end ot' said chamber, while beneath the flange, the plunger carries what I term al presser foot 48.

rllhe lower end ot the crowning-ram has an enlarged head t9 with an external annular supporting-Harige nea-r the lower edge thereof and at diametricallyopposite sides the head `is provided with vertical perforations 51 which extend up therethrough and which perfo-rations pass through a portion ot' the suppo rting` flange, as shown in Fig. et ot the drawings.

rlibe lower end ot the crowning-ram 3G and its head 49 have an annular recess 52 into which is titted loosely, a` crimping throat- 5l.

rlhis crimping-throat has a central tapered passage 55 therethrough, from bottom to top, so that it is narrower atthe top' than at the bottoni, and thisl tapered passage 55 normally contains the presser-foot- 48 which hangs pendantly from the lower end ot the plunger Alli.

Between the upper side of the crimpingthroat and the lower tace of the circular llange e7 on the plunger, there is interposed an inverted cup-washer 56, and the pressertoot 4r-8, extends down through this washer while the upper side oil the washer forms a support on which the circular flange el? et' the plunger may seat when the parts are assembled and in the normal position, as clearly readable in Fig. 2.

The plunger 44.- with itstlange 4T, presser toot 4S, cup-washer 5G and crimping-throat it are all insert-able within the lower end ot' the crowningsrain, and all of these elements are held up in the rain by means of crown-platform 57, which latter is shown in perspective in Fig. 7 ofthe dra ying.

The crown-platform has the form of a plate with a central perforation 58 in its under side and with a horizontal recess 59 in its upper side. which recess extends laterally from a point slightly at the rear ot the central pei oration and. opens at, or slightly to one side ot the trout beneath the housing 34. By preference, this platform is provided with a forward extension or shelt (iO-which projects beyond the circiunterence ot the head 49 but is spaced below the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 14- o't the drawing, and the upper surface ot this shelf and the bottom surface of the recess 59 are in alinement, and lie in a horizontal plane below the crimping-throat and presser foot 4S.

By again referring to Fig. 7 ot the drawing, it will he noted" that the recess 59 -torlns a slight shoulder or ledge (il at opposite sides and the rear of the centralv loottoni-perforation 5S, so thatthe` flange or skirtl 62 of a crown 63, may have sutlicient support on said' ledge to sustain the crown directly over `the perforation 58 as long as that shirt is in the flared condition as prior toy its attachment yto a bottle neck.

The crown-platform is provided With a vertically-extending Ypin 64 at each oli'` two opposite sides of the recess 59! each ot'- which pin-s is provided with a notch 65 in its outer side.

Villienthe platform is seated up against the hottoinend of the ram-head and the lio-t toni side of the criinping-throat 54, the pins G4. extend up through theV vertical' perforations 51 and above the annular supporting` 'flange 50, and the notches @5in the pins also have position above. said flange- V Y A locking-ring 66, see particularly Figs. 3, 4.-' and 5 ot the drawings,y is located on the' flange 50, andhas notches 67 atdia-inetrically-opposite side-s of its inner ciroumfereir tia-l wall. The arrangement off these ringnotches G7 is lsuch that the ring may be turned around the exterior of the head until these notches both register with the pins 64 which project up from the crown platform, whereupon those pins'l and the plait-forni may he seated up close against the bottom of the head and the under side of the crimping.- throat 5ft.

lVhen the pins Gel havey thus been passed through the ring-notches, the ring will then register with the side notches 65 in the pins. By then rotating` the ringv G6 slightly, its notches Grwill he moved lateially'irom the pins and the inner circun'iferentiad" wall ot the ring GG will extend through the pinnotches as shown in Fig. el., and securely lock.

the pins and the erown-platforin in place.

In the operation ot the machinel it is necessary to impart a vertical reciprocation to the crowning-ram 36, lior purposes presently to he eXplained,`-the means however for effecting); this movement ot the ram will now 4he explained, particular reference beingl in'ad'e to Figs. Q, 5, 8 and 13 ot thev drawings.

At the rear, the crowningiain. provided `with a vertical rack G8l whoseteeth are exposed to a machined recess tlf) in the head 30' between the sleeve portion 31 and tubular portion The wall of the head 3() at one side thereof is provided with a circular hearing-(meningr 70 (see Figi. S) while at the opposite side the head has a circular flange Tl in which a spring-cup or cage 72 is inserted'. This cup or cage is provided witlr radial slot 73, (see Extending horizontally through the head recess 69 and the cupv or cage 72 there is a horizontal gear-shalt 75, one end 76, et which has hearing inthe opening Oin the head-wall, while the other end of said sha'l't extends through and has hearing,` in the closed end wall of the cup or cage, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

The gear-shaft 75 carries a gear 77 While a reduced portion ot said shaft extends into the spring-cup or cage 72 and has a groove 78 therein, Las shown in Fig. 13, in which the inner end of the spring; T411 is scoured.

It will thus he understood that the outer end of the spring- 711 is attached to springr cup or cage 72, while the inner end of .said spiral spring is attached to the gear-shaft 7,5. By rotating the cup` the spring may he placed und-er sufficient tension, while the crowningrain 3G is elevated, to hold the latter in that elevated position. and to keep the spring in this partly wound con dition, I provide a key pin `79, whichpasses through perforations 8() and a passage 81,-thepkerlforations being in the head-'tlange 71 and the passage being inthe end wall et the cup 72, and both per orations and passage beingil in alinen'ient or registration, when the cup has heen turned sutliciently to place the spring` under the required tension.

The outer end ot the gear-shaft 75, has atapered and squared extremity 82 with a tlu'eaded socketin the end thereof and on. this squared end, I place an arm 83 having a handle-socket 84 at its outer end in which an operating` handle 85is seated. y n

A wing-holt 86 screws intoA the soolieted end of the geanshalt and holds the arm S8y thereon. y

By referencel to Figs.` l. and 15 ot' the drawings,it will noted that the large end Cil off the handle-socket 84. is provided with two, 1

diainetrically located pins 90. These'pins enable the socket-member to be utilized as a Spanner Wrench during the adjustment ot the spring-cage 72, as will now he eX- plained.

By again referring` to said Figs. 1 and 15, it will he noted that the spring-cage 72h; provided with two holes or sockets 91 on opposite sides ot the axis ot the cage and therefore dianietrically-opposite each other.

'flic d'stance hetween the centers ot theseA hole'sor sockets 91 and thedistance betweenthe centers of the pins 90 onl the handlesocletare equal so that it the handlesocket 84. he removed 'from the shaft 75 and the handle lie withdrawn Atrom said socket 84;,

the latter may lie seated against the end Vall ot the ca T2 and the pinsQO will register with and 'enter' the holes-.91 in the cage so that the hai'idle-soclet will enga-gethe cage like a Spanner Wrench and theeager may thus he turned or rotated wither against the tension of the spring 74 until the key-pin 79 can be inserted or removed as desired and no separate spanner-wrench tool is required.

In some instances it has been found desirable to provide a wall type of supporting means for the head SO and to do this I simply omit the tubular support 27 and the base 2O and substitute a bracket 89, as shown in Fig. l5 ot the drawing, which bracket will receive the split sleeve portion 3l ot the head.

vWhen the head 30 and sleeve 3l are supported by the wall bracket a suitable shelf er other support for the bottle to be crowned will be provided and in view ot the tact that the centers between the sleeve 31 and tubular portion 84 are n'iaintained, a bottle of any height, and ot any diameter' that can be used on the base 20 in the structure of Fig. l ca be operated upon in the wall-bracket form. A

The operation ot the machine is as tollows:

A bottle or container i3, after having been filled and in readiness Jfor the crown, is placed on the pad 22. The head 30 is then adjusted vvertically on the standard 27, to suit the height of the bottle and those of substantially the same lieiglit,-sliglit variations in the heights being imi'naterial.

The crown G3 is placed on the projection 60 of the crown-platform and a second crown when placed beside the first crown will push the latter into the recess 59 and over the opening 58, where it will be sustained by the ledges (il.

Operating handle 85 is then swung :torward which will cause the gear-shaft 75 to turn the gear 77 and thereby move the crowning-ram 36 downwardly.

As the ram moves down, the crown-platform the crimping-throat 54, the plunger 44 and presser-foot 48, will all move down, as they are all carried by the ram.

' As the crown-platform lowers, the bottleinouth will be entered in the central perforation 58 oi' the platform and the crown 68 which is in position in the recess 59 will seat on the bottle-mouth.

The ram continues to move down and the presser toot 48 seats on top ot1 the crown and as this downward movement continues, the foot 48, and plunger 44, will remain stationary while the pres-serfoot spring 42 will gradually compress as the ram and the plug 43 continue said movement. The eompressi on ot the spring 42 seats the sealinggasket 87 on the mouth of the bottle and in readiness for the locking of the crown. The position of the parts as this stage of the operation will besubstantially as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing, wherein the crown is located at the lower larger end of the crimping-throat passage 55.v

The ram 36 continues to move down, leaving the plunger 44 and presser-toot 48, stationary, but carrying the crimping-throat 54 with it, and during this further or final movement, the tapered wall in the throatpassage 55, will force the iiange or Iskirt 62 ot the crown inwardly into locking engagement with the bottle-neck and thus hold the sealing-gasket 87 in sealing contact with the bottle-moutli,-tlie parts at t-he conclusion of the locking or crimping operation being substantially as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings.

Assuming that the plug 43 has been properly adjusted, the end of the crowning operation will iind the crown properly crimped and the coils of the presser-toot spring 42 closedtogether so that any further downward pressure exerted by the crowning ram will only result in compressing the sealing gasket in the crown and wedging ot the bottleneck in the throat is prevented when. the spring-coils close together.

During the forward movement of the handle 85 and the downward movement of the rain, the spring 74 in the cup or cage 72 will be wound sutliciently to return the parts to the normal position shown in Figs. l and 2 ot the drawing` as the operatorrrelieves the handle so that the operator merely holds the handle to prevent it from swinging back uncontrolled. Y

l/Vhen the crimping operation is completed, the diameter ot the periphery ot the crown-flange or skirt 62 will have been reduced to a point where it will be less than 100 the diameter ot the perforation 58 in the crown-platform, so that when the handle 85 is returned and the ram raised, the crowned bottle-neck will withdraw through the opening 58 of the crown-platform.

`When the operating handle 85 is i'irst released the spring 42 in the ram performs its second function of ejecting the crimped crown from its wedged position in the crowning throat. c

It will be noted that by partly rotating the lockingr ring 66 until the slots 67 in the ring are brought into register with the notched. pins G4 ot the crownplatform 57, that the entire platform may be detached, 115 and upon its remo "al the crimping-throat 54, cup-washer 56, presser-toot 48 and plung er 44, may all be taken ont bodily from the interior ofthe ram 36.

in this way crimping-throats of diierent 120 sizes, together with a change of other parts necessary to provide ttor a. change from one size crown to another size may readily be made without disturbing the presser-toot spring in the upper end of the ram.

In some instance-s it has been )found desirable to utilize this hand-operated machine for applying crowns of the largest sizes to bottles which require crowning rams having` lower ends et considerable sizey In such 13o ease the spring-cage can be removed by the aid of the handleesocket as a spanner wrench, the gear-shaft can be removed and the complete crowning-ram assembly changedv to meet the condition and no tool is necessary other than the combined handle-socketand Spanner-wrench.

Having described clainn# l. ln a bottle-crowning machine the combination with afstationary bottle-sustaining device, of a vertical support extending above the bottle-sustaining device, a head adjustably carried on the ifertical support said head having a vertical bore therein, a ram movable vertically in the bore oi the head said rain having an upper spring chamber', a lower plunger-chamber and a reduced guidepassage between said two chambers, a plunger extending longitudinally in the ram from the plunger-chainber, through said guidepassage and having its upper end exposed in the upper spring-chamber,-said plunger having an annulaienlargement in the lower end of the plunger-chamber, a cup washer` beneath said enlargement, a presser toot at the lower end ot the plunger, a crimpingthroat beneath the cup-washer and around the presser 'footand a spring in the upper chamber outl the ra'm to press the plunger down.

myV invention, I

In a bottle-crowning machine the com-` bination wi h a support, of a head carried by the support said head being provided with a tubular housing, a crowning ram in the housing and having a rack at one side thereof, crown-applying devices carried by the ram, a shaft and gear means for actuating the ram, a cup entering the side of the head and having spaced-apart sockets in its outer side, a spring enclosed in the cup, said spring having one end attached to the cup and its other end attached to the shaft, a handle-socket at the outer end of the shaft said socket being provided with spaced apart pins to engage the sockets in the cup and serve as a :Spanner-wrench to turn the cup and place the spring under tension.

held disengaged lrom the upper end of the plunger, a presser-foot at the lower en'd of the plunger and a crowning-head at the lower end of the ram whereby the weight of the plunger 'will normally keep it away from the action oi the spring but will be acted upon by thespring after the presserioot seats against a bottle crown at the beginning of the crowning operation.

Il.' In a crowning-head structure for bottle-crowning machines the combination with a head having a vertical tubular guide-passage therethrough, of a vertically movable crowning-ram having a sliding fit in the tubular passage and provided with a centra-l spring recess in its upper end and a central bearing passage extending down from the spring recess,-the central bearing passage being of lesserl diameter than the spring-recess whereby to form an annular shoulder around the passage and at the base of the recess,a plunger itting the bearingpassage of the ram and having its upper end arranged with a shoulder which may be projected into the spring-recess, a spring in the recess of the ram and normally sustained from the annular shoulder of the Vram around the bearing passage and upper plunger-end whereby the plunger will normally be i'ree of the spring pressure, a crowning-head at the lower end of the ram and a presser-foot at the lower end of' the plunger.

ln testimony whereof I atliX my signature.

VILLIAM VAUGHAN DERBY. 

